Sorry we haven’t been posting lately. Chris is trying to get his second novel finished (more excitement from Hunter Brown!), Dave has a beautiful new baby girl, and our church is having its first service this week as Edgewood Bible Church (the name of the new church following the merger of Valley Bible Church and Edgewood Community Church). Needless to say, all of us have been busy!

I’m hoping to get back to posting regularly starting next week, but I thought I’d put up today a little list of my favorite posts from Out of the Miry Clay’s 2008. Now, these weren’t the posts with the highest traffic, and I didn’t sort through the posts written by Dave and Chris; I just skimmed through the ones I’d written and put together a list of posts I either really enjoyed writing or that hold a special place for me. Here it is, top ten style:

I remember reading through this particular section in Thomas Brooks’ Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices and really being impacted by how foolish it is to think we can just repent any time we choose. If repentance truly is a divine work in us, then we shouldn’t take it lightly. This post really challenged me intellectually and spiritually.

I wrote this post after getting permission from Milton Vance to post his “Gospel Narrative” here as a permanent page on the blog. I put a lot of time into that page, with all the texts hyper-linked, but I’m really glad it is here. Since putting it up in June, that page has had 115 hits. I hope God continues to use the page to proclaim the wonderful truth of what has been accomplished in Jesus Christ!

This last year, with preaching on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and getting involved in 40 Days for Life, I found myself more active in the Pro Life cause. During this time (and as I continue) I’ve tried to get others to join me. I appreciated this post, not only for what was written, but that is was the work of Jenaya and Becky, two who joined me in taking a stand for the preciousness of human life.

I love the hymns, so I really like to see these wonderful treasures passed on to the next generation and to hear of powerful new hymns being written. Writing about this “resurgence” is hymnology was really a joy, especially taking the time to do “research” by listening to music that I love!

This was one of those posts that broke my heart! I really enjoyed writing it, but I think like 3 people read it. I know that to some it probably reeks of Calvinism, but the thought of God’s affections set on me from eternity past is something that has a wonderful fragrance to me and I wished that more people would have read this post and just delighted in the glorious truth of being “known” by God.

Amy and I have really rejoiced to see Rylie grow in her knowledge about God and are looking forward to the day when we can watch her truly delight in God. We took this video as we were in the process of teaching her catechism questions and answers. I love it because her voice is so precious and she gets so excited about the answers. The world is a better place with Rylie in it!

To say that I had a lot of fun writing these two posts would be a serious understatement. I probably overdosed the narrative with adjectives, but I had a blast reliving this evening with my nephews through the lens of a little hyperbole!

This was the not one of my favorite posts to write this year, because the events behind in are still so painful for Amy and me, but I wanted it here to be remembered. I didn’t enjoy writing about our loss, but I am so thankful for the God who has carried us through and for the wonderful, rich, healing power of the Cross of our Savior.

A lot has happened to us in 2008 and I praise God that He gave me a faithful, beautiful, wise and loving co-laborer to walk through it all with me. Next to my salvation, Amy is the best thing that has ever happened in my life and it was a real blessing for us to be able to celebrate 10 years of marriage this year. She is truly a gift from God!

Our precious, beautiful (and wild) daughter Anna arrived this year and she was definitely worth the wait. It is amazing to see how her excitable and adventuresome personality has blossomed over these first 10 months. 2009 should be an precious year with her, as she begins to walk (heaven help us!) and really starts talking (she says a few words and makes a lot of noise even now). What a blessing to have two beautiful daughters… now if I could just figure out a way to keep them from growing up so fast!

Hope you enjoyed this little stroll down 2008’s blog-post-memory-lane. Makes you wonder what God has in store for 2009.

Psalm 40:1-3

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD."